Under Armour names Steph Curry president of Curry Brand in expanded partnership

Dive Brief:

After 10 years of working together, Under Armour and Steph Curry have entered another long-term partnership, according to a company press release. The deal will see Curry’s influence at Under Armour expand as he takes on a broader advisory role.
As part of the new deal Curry will become president of Under Armour’s Curry Brand, which was formed in 2020. The NBA star will work on product development, as well as select business and marketing efforts.
Curry will not only continue his involvement with Under Armour’s basketball efforts, but will also work with the brand in golf, women’s, youth and sportstyle categories.

Dive Insight:

In its new deal with Curry, Under Armour has locked down one of its biggest brand ambassadors.

At the start of his career, Curry initially signed with Nike, but the four-time NBA champion switched to Under Armour in 2013, and will now stay with the brand for the long term. Kevin Plank, Under Armour’s founder, brand chief and executive chair, said in a statement that the company was “fortunate” to resign the basketball star and praised Curry as the embodiment of an Under Armour athlete.

"Stephen is one of the greatest talents of our generation," Plank said in the release. "He is an integral part of the Under Armour family, and we are excited and inspired by this next stage in our partnership.”

Curry has released ten signature shoes with Under Armour over the past decade. The new partnership will build on prior efforts and will also include additional funding for community impact efforts tied to the Curry Brand.

"I am beyond excited to be joining Under Armour at this pivotal time, especially with the heat and influence that Stephen will bring for us,” new CEO Stephanie Linnartz said in a statement. “I look forward to working closely with Stephen and the Curry team as we focus on the next chapter of accelerated growth across the Under Armour Brand."

Under Armour is at a pivotal point, with 25-year Marriott veteran Linnartz taking over the top spot at the end of February. The retailer is looking to rebound from a period of slow growth, and is shifting its brand positioning as a result. Under Armour in February discussed in detail its new “live” category, a more athleisure focused approach, which has the potential to triple the brand’s total addressable market, executives said. Under Armour has long emphasized performance and avoided stepping into the athleisure space.